Batter Up!
by BubblyPJ
Summary: Hinata Hyuuga couldn't pitch, throw, catch or bat. She wasn't very fast, strong or tactical. She was, unarguably, a terrible softball player. But, however, she loved Konohagakure's Batting Cage and everything that came with it.


_Batter Up!_

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine.

_by BubblyPJ_

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_Hinata Hyuuga couldn't pitch, throw, catch or bat. She wasn't very fast, strong or tactical. She was, unarguably, a terrible softball player_. _But, however, she loved Konohagakure's Batting Cage and everything that came with it._

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Chapter 1: _The day she met the pink haired little girl_

Hinata Hyuuga wanted to believe she hated her clan. She wanted to believe that if her father hated her, she would despise him. She dearly wanted to believe that he was the bad guy, and he did all this because he hated her.

But she couldn't of course. She couldn't miss the hopeful gleam in his usually blank eyes whenever she practiced a pitch, or picked up a bat. She couldn't miss that almost nonexistent quirk of his lips when she juggled the softballs.

She couldn't miss the fact that maybe her father still loved her.

Whenever she talked to the maids, they always admonished her and said, "_Hinata-sama, I sincerely tell you that you should not believe such things! Hiashi-sama loves you, and that is that._"

But the thing was, they never used the word _father_. Just Hiashi-sama. Hinata had a sneaking suspicion that there was a reason why.

Hiashi expected everything from her. He expected for her to hit the ball with as much ferocity as he did. He expected alot of things, but all Hinata seemed to be able to do was disappoint him.

He seemed to have given up on her when Hanabi turned five, when he started to train her perfect sharp eyed little sister who inherited everything Hinata hadn't.

Hinata couldn't really blame her sister- it wasn't her fault she got her father's brunette locks and intellect and unparalleled skill. But when Hiashi started to beam at Hanabi, when he started to smile more when she scored runs, or when she was just simply _her,_ she started feel a bubble of envy in the depths of her stomach.

She started to tear up whenever she heard Hanabi's giggles from the courtyard, but she of course never wished ill harm on her sister- she was still her sister! Hinata was tearfully reminded of her mother's soft caress and croaky last words: "_Never let your sister down, Hina-chan. Cherish her as long as you can. I love you, Hina-chan, so remember that for me._"

To Hinata, her mother was a goddess. She was perfect in every which way, whether it be the way she walked, talked and sang. Hinata's mother would always take Hinata out to tend to the flowers in the garden, or have fancy high tea parties wearing imported silk kimonos and swirling delicate parasols in the dappled sunlight under the cherry blossom trees.

She kept to herself most days when Hiashi took Hanabi out to train or watch a softball match. The maids and butlers occasionally left cinnamon buns outside her door in an attempt to comfort her, and she always ate them to be polite, but there was always a small voice whispering in her head saying she didn't need pity

The many maids and butlers that attended to Hinata thought she just skulked in her room, munching quietly on cinnamon buns and sipping expensive tea, but what they _didn't_ know was that the maids that cleaned her room always forget to lock her window.

One of the many advantages of being short and petite was that slipping out of windows were a literal piece of cake.

{**1**}

A maid politely wrapped her knuckles on the tall immaculately painted white door, a soft sighing slipping from her lips. "Hinata-sama?" she called a silver platter wobbling in her arms as she knocked again.

A grunt was heard, and the maid immediately assumed that she was to leave the platter. As the maid hurried away, the locked clicked open and a dainty hand slid the platter inside, cautious of the swaying boiling tea.

Hinata settled onto her seat, closing her eyes and sipping the tea with a content sigh. As she slightly cracked her eyes open, she was immediately reminded of her meeting with Akio.

She stuffed a several scones and cinnamon buns into her sleeve and pulled her coat on to cover her clan crest. She regularly snuck out of her wide, yet stuffy room, eager to discover the adventurous wildlife of what was Konohagakure.

Stuffing a few pillows under the blanket in a curled position, she hurried over to the window and slid it open. She climbed out with practiced ease and ventured off into the lush plant life leading to the bustling market place of Konoha.

{**_M_**}

One radiant morning sometime a year ago, Hinata was feeling positively sneaky, so she decided to follow her father and Hanabi to whatever location her father had chosen to 'bond'.

Hinata had originally thought they were dining at the famous grill, Yakiniku Q,which happened to be highly exclusive if you wanted to enter the VIP area, where the Hyuugas' reservation was always placed.

As she was about to run off, the pair had apparently decided to skip the grill and enter the leafy clearing beside the towering restaurant. Hinata reluctantly decided to follow them, but she kept to the shadows, skipping across the occasional twig or leaf.

There was a winding, gravelling road that lead them deeper into the clearing, but the path suddenly stopped before a small, dinky shop with peeling beige paint, mismatched tin roofing and a highly unpleasant stench that made the trio of Hyuugas scrunch their noses in distaste.

A short, cerise haired boy was sprawled over the wooden counter, bathing in the dappled sunlight.

"Akio-san." Hiashi cleared his throat and stood with Hanabi's hand clasped in his much larger one. The mane of pink hair tilted up and stared up at the Hyuuga Clan Head with half lidded eyes expectantly.

"Sup, Hyuuga." he greeted, resting his chin on his knuckles and yawned. Hanabi gasped at the disrespect the boy had shown her much feared father, but if Hiashi was insulted, he didn't seemed to notice.

"We'd like to hire Cage number six, if you would please." Akio shuffled a little and chucked a slim silver key at Hiashi, who just raised a hand and caught without a thought. The pink haired boy turned and dropped a long slightly rusty bat on the table, and Hiashi simply picked it up and gestured to his wide-eyed daughter.

Akio surveyed Hanabi, and she fidgeted under the calculating gaze of the young teen. Before she knew it, a relatively shorter bat slid across the counter and Hanabi anxiously took it under her father's questioning stare.

He led Hanabi inside the wide cage behind the shop and disappeared, only the faint sound of shooting softballs heard from inside the batting cage.

"Mission accomplished." Hinata muttered to herself, and subconsciously made a mental note to return here sometime again. But, before she could turn away, a voice interrupted her departure.

"I know you're there, little Hyuuga." a bored voice rang through the silent clearing and Hinata froze, readying herself to sprint away. "Eh," he called and Hinata froze, biting her lip nervously, "Don't go, lil' Hyuga. I need some entertainment. I won't bite, and I certainly won't tell your old geezer of a Clan Head."

Hinata spun her head to sideways and found Akio with a smirk tilting his lips. She scowled and shoved her arms through the leafy branches, standing with her arms folded a few feet away from the small shop.

"He's my father." Hinata said stiffly, turning away from Akio's questioning gaze. "Eh? Oh, really?" Akio mused, a smile curving his lips. "Why don't you join your beloved family?" he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

Hinata huffed and look away, "I'm no good at sports anyway. They probably won't let me join." The plum haired boy chortled and tilted his head in amusement, "Oh, isn't that a story?"

Akio pulled out a canteen of water and jiggled it in offering. At the bait, Hinata huffed and she could suddenly feel the dry ache in her throat.

She trudged over and snatched the canteen out of his hands with a mumbled _thank you_. Hinata chugged it and let the cool swishing water travel down her throat.

"Ah," Akio cheerily said, "The token of friendship." Hinata spit a trickle of water out and let the canteen drop fall onto the ground. She stared up at him in disbelief but he unblinkingly stared back gleefully.

"Hey," he shrugged, "I'm bored. A smart little girl like you will definitely provide some entertainment." Hinata once again huffed and crossed her arms, thought not denying the offer- more like demand- of friendship.

"You could at least ask for my name, y'know." Hinata mumbled, but Akio just answered with a bubbly laugh.

{**_M_**}

Hinata strolled down the familiar, gravelly pathway whilst nibbling on a crumbly scone. She weaved through the leafy branches and occasional furry animal.

Soon, she made it to the end of the path and she jogged to the small dinky shop. Pouring the contents of her sleeve out, she picked up a scone and threw it at a mass of pink curls tucked under an unfamiliar faded cap.

"Eat up," she informed Akio as he lifted his head and scowled at her. He had changed in the last year, with him becoming more lazy and his usual bright gleam in his light green eyes hid under half-lidded eye lids. Hinata had immediately adapted to his leisurely behavior and proceeded to shout, yell or whatever was necessary for him to have at least _a little_ motivation in life.

"Ah, my hero." he mumbled and made to rest his head back onto his folded arms, but Hinata got that horrible glint that promised unmerciful pain and suffer.

Hinata climbed over the wooden counter with little effort and seated herself beside Akio on the trembling bench. They waited in silence as they ate the pasteries, listening to the melody of the midday wind and the rustling of the leaves.

"Ooh," Akio said, letting a grin sip over his lips, and eyed the long piece of treacle tart, "Fancy." Hinata nodded in agreement and took the offered half piece of the tart.

As they munched on the treat, Akio suddenly said, "Do you ever wonder that it's suspicion that a little girl and a pubescent boy hanging out is a little... suspicious?"

A lecherous grin had spread over his face and Hinata let her half-eaten piece of treacle squish onto his cheek. "Say that again," Hinata said dangerously, "I dare you."

Akio nervously laughed and held his hands up in surrender. Hinata lost the almost sadistic gleam in her eyes and snatched Akio's piece of treacle tart away. "Oops," she said innocently and swallowed the bite of the delicious tart.

Akio glared at her, pouting adorably and she distractedly patted his head. "I forgive you," she said absentmindedly and he glared at her harder, though he was pretty sure that his pathetic glare had no effect whatsoever on the short heiress.

"Nice hat," she said, glancing up at his new, yet old, cap. "Yeah," he swallowed a mouthful of cinnamon bun and took the hat off, "It was my dad's. Played for the Flames."

In the centre of the front, it read **KONOHAGAKURE FLAMES SOFTBALL TEAM**. Though, she appeared unnerved, she let the suprise enter her voice, "My father did as well."

He chuckled and shook his mane of cerise coloured curls, "Yeah, I know. In fact, I think everyone knows. Maybe, your genius died the moment you decided to steal my precious treacle tart and Lady Karma decided to avenge me."

He made a show of kneeling down and bowing. "All Hail, Lady Karma!" he chanted, his hands in a praising pose and she kicked his back. Hinata scowled and crossed her arms, "Forget what I said earlier. You're an idiot and idiots do not get forgiven."

Akio just laughed and glanced at the ticking clock. "My shift is over," he said, picking up his duffle bag from the floor. Taking his cap from me, he snugly fit it over his head and looked over his shoulder. "You gonna go?" he asked, his hand on the rusty knob.

"Nah," Hinata shook her head, and unconsciously wiped the crumbs off the counter. He nodded and glanced at the clock once more. "Go home when it's five, before the manager comes in to lock up." Hinata nodded in agreement and caught the golden key he passed her. She watched his fleeting form jogging through the trees and stared at where the gravelly road started.

"Maybe, I should go home now." she mused to herself and walked out of the shop, watching the way her feet shuffled across the grass. The way she observed her father's movements, she had discovered that he moved lightly, with almost no noise and was always very fast. He had quick instincts, and his quick footsteps helped him to build up on moving on raw instinct. An example was when she was practing her pitches, and instead of the ball hitting the wall behind the Home Base plate, it had somehow traveled somewhere near her father, who absentmindedly caught the ball even though he was a few feet away.

Hanabi seemed to have inherited his light movement and quick instincts as well as she was much quicker to catch the ball or dodge a pitch that could've bruised her ribcage.

She was suddenly pulled out of her train of thought as she collided with another's body, who seemed to strangely have a similar body structure as her. Rocketing back, she glanced up to find who she had collided with and prepared to immediately apologize.

"I'm so so-" she started but the sentence did not finish as she froze, staring into the much too familiar eyes. "Akio?" she questioned, but the person was much too short and feminine to be her older and much more masculine friend.

"I'm not stupid Akio," the pink haired girl scowled, picking herself up, "I'm Sakura!"

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